INDIA is introducing a controversial new law that will track expats who are travelling abroad. Here is everything you need to know about the law.

There used to be legislation in India that prevented expats from boarding flights without registering with the government. But the new law will bring that legislation back after it was stopped. The new emigration bill will make it mandatory for Indian people to register before going to other countries to either work or study.

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The Ministry of External Affairs in India posted information about the new bill online.

The ministry says the registration will make migration “safe, orderly and regular”.

This will apparently help Indian workers and students during times of “need and emergency” when they are abroad.

The registration will also help people doing jobs requiring manual labour such as mining, construction and commercial fishing, as they may face tough working conditions and will need extra support and tracking.

India news: Expats are to be tracked travelling abroad (Image: GETTY)

People are being asked to leave comments and suggestions about the bill before January 20.

However, it is not yet known when the final version of the bill will be tabled for legislative approval.

Rafeek Ravuther is an activist in Kerala who has spent 18 years defending migrant rights.

He believes India needs to help and reduce more migrants who feel their rights are being “infringed”.

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India news: The controversial new law will be implemented to track those who go abroad (Image: GETTY)

Mr Ravuther said to The National: “In a way, the government already has all this data.

“The workers going to many of these countries need emigration clearance in advance, and the government collects this information then.

"And emigration officers sit in airports and log these details as well, so why add another process to complicate it?”

The bill does not explain what sort of personal information will be collected.

India news: The ministry says the registration will make migration “safe, orderly and regular” (Image: GETTY)

But a similar compulsory registration procedure was proposed last November.

This meant Indian people flying to 18 countries, including the UAE, would be stopped from boarding their flights if they hadn’t registered at least 24 hours previously.

The rule was meant to be brought in on January 1 this year but it received “unfavourable” feedback from Indians overseas.

Although the draft bill does not lay out the kind of information that will be collected, the short-lived registration process proposed last November would have asked for employer details and two sets of emergency contacts.

R Gopal, a financial analyst who lives in New York, argued migrants who struggle financially may benefit from the government’s protection.

He said: “But in that case, why not make it mandatory? If a blue-collar worker headed to work outside India fears for his rights and wants his government to know his status, he can register.